The process of writing stories

"Telling stories is what we do. It's not just confined to short story writers and novelists.

"I studied literature. I came to writing through reading. It seemed to me that writing was a conversation that was happening down through the ages, and I wanted to join in in my own very small way.

"A short story is a marvellous way for writers to try on voices."

"It is very hard to write a really great short story. If I knew how to do it, I'd tell you!

"I think you've got to be patient. You've got to wait, and you've got to be prepared to do nothing until you're ready to go. The worst thing is to write because you feel you've got to get something going, because you haven't done anything for a week.

"You'll know the thing you want, because you'll be overtaken by the emergence of it, and you won't be able to sleep until one in the morning getting it done.

"Certainly my view, in those early days, was 'do nothing until you get this feeling, and take as long as you like'. It doesn't matter if you write a short story at 200 words a day, because in eight weeks it will be done."
http://www.creative-choices.co.uk/industry-news-views/article/ian-mcewan-on-the-short-story